She rolled her eyes, shoved an elbow into his side, and made him withdraw his arm. “Do you have any idea what the two of you have done? Today there is not yet a rumor, but when the other men reach us, there will be. Then once we are home, talk of you being in my bed will be first on the lips of everyone. A week later they will say I am with child and a month after that, I will have three children hidden away somewhere and not know who is to blame.” She tried not to smile, but they were laughing so hard, she couldn’t help herself.
When he finally stopped laughing, Donnahail grinned at Neil. “We should have brought the priest.”
“I always seem to be lacking a priest when I need one. On the other hand, if ‘tis a word with the one above you are needing, Glorie has it well in hand. I have not seen a lass on her knees as often as Glorie since my mother passed.”
Kadick stuck her nose in the air. “A good thing too, I can think of no one who needs help more than the two of you.”
Neil quickly ceased the opportunity. “Speaking of the Almighty, you said he woke you up when the people tried to burn you. What happened exactly?”
“Well, I was very tired. We all worked hard that day to put enough cut wood in the storehouses for winter. I had not been asleep long...I do not believe, when I had a dream. A man in a white shirt and a white kilt began to motion for me to come to him.”
“And you think it was God?” asked Donnahail.
“Who else could it have been? Even his shoes were white and no one has white shoes.”
Neil wrinkled his brow. “You saw His face?”
“Well no, not exactly. His face was too bright for me to look upon, but I was not afraid at all. I wanted to go to him very much. It was like going to...pure happiness or warmth on a very cold night...or...oh, I cannot explain it.”
“Did you go to him then?” Neil asked.
“I must have. When I woke up, I was standing not far from the door and my feet were getting hot. I looked down and there were flames shooting under the door.”
“Did you get burned?” asked Donnahail.
“Nay, I was not that close.”
The mental image of her being trapped inside a burning cottage made Neil’s heart fill with dread, “You are certain the fire started outside your door?”
“Aye.”
“How did you escape?”
“I am small enough to go out the window. I guess they did not consider that. I was already settled in a cottage of my own and Millin was not with me. She would have burned for sure.”
Kadick paused to take a breath. “A few weeks before the fire, I asked to live alone and Knox was glad. He said he preferred having me as far away from the rest as possible. He gave me a cottage at the far edge of the village where, by the way, I would be the first to drown should the river flood.
‘Tis an evil thing to be glad he is dead, but I confess I am. He blamed all manner of things on my mark and even made up a hurtful chant when we were children.” She stopped to catch her breath. “Sometimes I can still smell the smoke.”
Neil wanted to get her back on the subject. “Did you see who set the fire?”
“Nay, once I was out the window I did not look. I ran around the back of the cottages until I got to Millin’s. I will never forget the look on her face. I had soot all over me and she thought I was burned to the bone. But you see, God woke me in time and not a hair on me was burned. Then Walrick came to live with us and Millin said God sent Walrick on purpose to keep me safe. She says I have cheated death twice and therefore, God has a particular reason for keeping me alive. Do you believe it?”
Neil smiled and rubbed the side of his face. “I only know this much: if not for you we would not be bringing wives to our lads. Wives mean our clan will have plenty of children.”
She took a moment to consider that, but soon her mind drifted. “I saw him, you know.”
“Saw who?” asked Neil.
“Walrick. His first day with us, Walrick promised to kill a lad if he struck his wife. I was very happy to see it because that lad was always beating his wife. Walrick said he would kill any lad who hurt a lass and he sure is big enough to. All the MacClurgs fear him. Walrick saves me each and every day and I doubt he even knows that. I must remember to thank him when we get home.”
“Walrick is a good lad.”
“Indeed he is,” said Donnahail. “Who put out the fire?”
“The rain. Millin says she’d never seen such a downpour. It must be true because nothing burned inside my cottage. If not God then Gelson put it out. He lived closest to me and has always been very kind.”
“Kadick, you said ‘the people’ tried to burn you. How do you know it was not just one lad?”
“Because of the chant. I could hear them saying it as I crawled out the window.”
“What chant?” Neil asked.
“Kissy Kadick with the mark
Best we keep her in the dark
Kissy Kadick go away
No one here wants you to stay.”
CHAPTER II
NEIL BOWED HIS HEAD. “Knox made up that chant?”
“Aye, but he is dead so in the end, he was the one who went away.”
“How many people do you think there were?”
Kadick shrugged. “Too many. Gelson might have seen them, but Neil, you must not fret over this. I am safe now that you and Walrick are with us.”
“You are a good lass and if the fire threatened only you, I would not be so concerned. But Kadick, my wife and children are living with people who are not above burning someone alive. The whole clan is in danger.”
Her eyes grew large, “I did not mean to sound so selfish.”
Donnahail playfully wagged his finger at her. “Do not let it happen again.”
She turned her impish glare on the man she was falling in love with. “Do you know Millin? Because you and she are very much alike. I best not let you make her acquaintance. With two of you against me, I will never get my way. I think I should...”
Neil ignored their teasing for a moment. He was hoping Kadick’s report of what happened would ease his mind, but it did not. Instead, it made him even more tense. He was terrified that being away from home another minute was one minute too long. He suspected it would be hours before he could get to sleep. Still, he could not show his emotions and would be forced to pretend calmness. He would much rather be pacing somewhere. He leaned forward to look around Kadick at Donnahail. “What do you suggest we do with her?”
“Well, she cannot live alone when we get home. I suppose I will have to marry her after all.”
Neil slowly got to his feet. “We should have brought the priest.” He smiled and walked away.
Once he was gone, Kadick lowered her voice and leaned closer to Donnahail. “You should not joke like that, someone will think you are serious.”
“I am serious. You need me to keep you warm at night.”
“I cannot marry you. It would not be fair.”
“Why not?”
“Because I like you. You are a handsome lad and you need a better wife than me.” She stood up and started for her bed.
Instead of arguing, he stood up also and followed. “Aye, there is that to consider. I will think it over and give you my answer tomorrow.”
Kadick handed him the extra plaid he’d put around her shoulders, got into her bed and then waited while he spread the extra one over her. “Good night.” He was looking in her eyes again and she realized she’d become very fond of having him see her and not her mark. He’d been right all along—she should have let the MacGreagors get used to seeing her.
She thought about his marriage joke a few minutes more before she turned over and fell fast asleep. She was completely unaware when Donnahail moved his bed close to hers so he could protect her. Later, Neil bedded down on the other side of her. Both men were worried and slept fitfully, but Kadick had never been happier in her life. She was safe and warm, and with people who were not afraid of her.
HIS
NAME WAS SILUS MacClurg and it was his turn to stand guard on the outer edge of the encampment so others could get a good night’s rest. Before, when the men far outnumbered the women, they took two-hour guard duty shifts. Now there were far more women to protect and fewer men to protect them, so the shifts were changed to four hours. That suited Silus fine. He had his eye on a pleasing lass with red hair and green eyes. She used to be a dairy maid before she agreed to become a bride and she was worth protecting. In fact, each night he worried she would be on the outside where a man from another clan might more easily take her. Each night he breathed a little easier when he saw her bed down closer to the middle.
To his annoyance, he was not the only contender for Dora’s hand. Therefore, getting the other men to let him stand guard closer to her was out of the question. He was annoyed but not put off. Neil did not bring a priest, therefore no other man could marry her and there was still time before they got home.
At the moment, it was the other matter that concerned him more anyway. He much preferred it when Kadick kept herself hidden away. Out of sight and out of mind had served him very well for many months, but now she was out of hiding, living among them openly and sleeping between two MacGreagors, one of which was their laird.
The MacClurgs took an oath to care for and protect their new laird once Knox was dead and Walrick stepped down. At the time, Silus was happy to do it. The MacGreagors offered a much better life by virtue of their strength and the fear their sizes struck in the hearts of any enemies.
The MacGreagor edict, threatening death to any man who intentionally hurt a woman or a child, was passed on to the MacClurgs the moment Walrick took command. No one asked if that included past sins, and those responsible for the fire that almost killed Kadick did not dare inquire. So the attempted murder was never mentioned and as long as Kadick kept herself hidden, there was no reason to bring it up.
Each day she spent with Neil and Donnahail convinced Silus—sooner or later Kadick would tell. Then tonight she sat next to their laird on the grass and from the look on Neil’s face, it was not hard to guess what they were talking about.
Silus truly believed Kadick’s mark was the mark of evil and he had proof. One night as she walked along the edge of the river, she raised her hands above her head and not long afterwards, her evil cast its shadow and the white moon turned a sickly yellow. It was the most frightening thing he had ever seen and when he told his laird, Knox banished Kadick to live on the edge of the village. That seemed to stave off her vile influence on the world for a time.
Then it happened again on another night when Kadick was out of her cottage. She normally wore the green hood to hide her mark, but this night was warm and she left it off. No one was watching...or so she thought when she began to sway her body as though dancing to an unheard melody. She swayed from side to side, skipped and when she put a hand over her head, the night sky lit up with strange and frightening green and yellow colors coming down from the north.
Silus was so frightened, he hid behind a nearby tree. When he got the courage to look again, the lights had taken the form of a jagged curtain—Satan’s curtain coming down to swallow them up. He ran to get two friends and together they watched the rest of the night, prepared to warn the others if the lights came any closer. They did not come closer and the strange lights, at last, faded with the morning light
The three men finally allowed their tortured minds to ease. They were safe...this time...but could they take the chance of it happening again? Nay, it would be better for the clan if Kadick were dead. Yet none were bold enough to openly run her through and setting her cottage on fire seemed the only recourse.
Silus glanced at Dora’s bed, noticed she was sleeping soundly, and then looked up at the sky. Never in his life would he forget the horrifying curtain he saw stretched across the night sky.
Slowly, he turned. He was afraid Kadick was dancing again and when he saw that she was sleeping, he relaxed. Perhaps the answer was to keep her from dancing, or perhaps all he needed to do was keep her from putting her arms up. Yes, that was the answer—keep her from raising her hands over her head.
CHAPTER III
THE NEXT MORNING, THE people had grown by ten more men and enough horses to get everyone home much faster, and in much more comfort. Neil was relieved to see his men and slapped the MacClurg he sent to gather them on the back to show his appreciation. The clan sent an abundance of food with the new men and at least the English brides would not taste starvation.
Neil was even more pleased to see Brendan and as soon as the MacGreagor warrior got through kissing Greer, he took him aside. “There is trouble.”
Brendan was surprised, everything looked normal when he arrived late in the night. He followed Neil away from the others and leaned closer to hear his softly spoken words. “I must have a lad I can trust to ride back. Will you do it?”
Both men knew he would not decline. “What is wrong?”
“Some people tried to burn Kadick alive just before Walrick came to live with the MacClurgs. They were not found out and yet live among us.”
“Dear saints in heaven,” Brendan brought a hand up and rubbed his brow.
“Until they are discovered, we are all in danger.”
“When do I leave?”
“Greer has missed you and she will probably not forgive me for sending you back. Stay with her until we stop for the noon meal and then I will announce I am sending you back.”
“For what reason?”
“Smile so the others will think nothing is wrong. I am expecting trouble with the Swinton clan. How long will it take you to go and come back?”
Brendan winked at Greer and smiled. “Considering the way she just kissed me, not long at all. We saw no other clans when we came to fetch you.”
“Good. But once they hear of all these lasses...”
“I see what you mean. Perhaps I might say you need more than these to protect them.”
“Tell them Swintons tried to take Greer and Kadick on our way to England.”
Brendan’s jaw tightened. “So I heard.”
Neil knelt down, picked up a rock and pretended to examine it. “Tell Walrick...”
Brendan listened carefully to all of Neil’s instructions and then nodded. “Give me a fresh horse and I will leave in an hour. The sooner I am gone, the sooner I will be back. Have you noticed any MacClurgs paying undue attention to Kadick?”
Neil shook his head. “She is safe; Donnahail will not let anyone near her. He watched Brendan go back to Greer, grab her around the waist, and hurry her off where they could be alone. Then he went to watch some of the women smack the hands of the men who were trying to get an early bite of fresh cooked wheat cakes.
He tried to concentrate on which man and woman might become mates, but he could not. Soon he was looking for Kadick and when he did not immediately see her, his eyes betrayed his anxiety.
“Donnahail took her to wash up,” Glorie said.
Neil smiled. “Glorie, you are constantly on your knees praying. Why is that?”
“Father Fisher said that praying is my special talent, and I confess he must be right, for I have discovered no other talent. He says ‘tis a true miracle from God that my knees have not yet given out.”
“And for whom do you pray?”
“Everyone. This morning, I was praying for the King of England that he may not go to war, and then I prayed for the King of Scotland that he may not go to war either.“
“I am relieved, I was afraid you were praying for me.”
“Oh, you need more prayer than most.”
Neil spotted Donnahail walking Kadick back and relaxed. “And why is that?”
“Well, there are a lot of lasses here and some prefer the same lad.” Glorie quickly curtsied. “I pray that when they begin to fight, you will not go daft.”
“I am grateful for the warning,” he said as she walked away. Fighting women was a problem Neil had not yet considered, and he dismissed it in favor of
more pressing concerns. Normally, it took too long to feed so many people and it cost valuable time, but this morning Neil let Brendan and Greer spend as much time together as he dared before he sent Brendan off to warn Walrick.
As soon as Brendan was gone, Neil decided to break up the fun and get them moving. The feeling of being watched had not left him and some of the other men had the same feeling. It had to be Swintons. No doubt they were already on Swinton land and perhaps staying encamped was more dangerous than moving on. Getting closer to the valley of the MacPhearson seemed like a good idea and before he realized the sound of his voice was a little too harsh, Neil was barking orders.
NEIL KISSED KADICK on the forehead and then pulled her hood up. He lifted her onto her horse and stayed until she was settled, then he mounted his horse and brought it up beside hers. Soon Donnahail was on the other side, everyone was ready and now that there were enough horses, Neil gave the signal to begin.
Some of the women had to ride behind the men and when he looked back, he saw only a few unhappy faces among them. He made a note to make sure the women were more pleased the next time. Then he remembered Glorie’s warning. If some of the women preferred the same man, making them happy, would not be easily done, especially when he had no idea which men were involved. If only Glenna were here, she would...Just then, Kadick interrupted his thoughts.
“You are worried about the Swintons?”
Neil smiled to reassure her. “I was hoping you might scare them away again.”
“Laird MacGreagor, I think you should dress all of your women in green capes with hoods. That would scare half of Scotland away.”
He chuckled. “Why did we not think of that before?”
“Do not be afraid, Glorie has been praying out loud for us all morning.”
Neil glanced back just in time to see Glorie cross herself and begin moving her lips again. “Does she think we are in any particular danger?”
Marti Talbott's Highlander Series, Volume 4 Page 17